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APRIL 11, 2025—At Pal-Mac Primary School, math is moving beyond the classroom and out into the hallways as part of a growing effort to build problem-solving and collaboration skills among the District’s youngest learners.

Starting the week of March 24, all students at the primary school were invited to take on weekly Building Thinking Classrooms (BTC)  Hallway Tasks.

Each week, new tasks are posted throughout the building, with different levels available based on student readiness. Tasks can be completed at the hallway whiteboards or within classrooms, either as a whole group or in smaller partnerships. 

Students submit their thoughts via entry forms, which are collected every Friday.

One student from each participating class is then chosen at random and recognized during the Monday morning announcements. Winners receive a certificate, a math-themed pencil, and a surprise prize.

The effort is part of the District’s ongoing implementation of the BTC model. The effort, first piloted in 2023, encourages students to tackle challenging math problems in more active and student-centered ways.

Inspired by Peter Liljedahl’s “Building Thinking Classrooms,”the initiative promotes hands-on, visible problem-solving, which is  a strategy that’s already seen success in older grades. 

Students are encouraged to discuss strategies, test ideas, and learn from peers in a judgment-free setting. The process is already in practice in at least 10 classrooms within PMP. K-2 Math Specialist Kelley Donoghue said the hallway tasks are meant to compliment what's already in place/

“It’s math, but it’s also teamwork, persistence, and confidence-building,” Donoghue said.

And most of all? It’s fun!